Combined Force Captures Taliban Commander

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2012 - An Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban leader and detained an additional suspected insurgent during an operation in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Afghanistan's Helmand province today, military officials reported.

The leader directed roadside-bomb attacks against Afghan forces throughout the district, officials said.

In Afghanistan operations yesterday:

-- In the Darah-ye district of Kunar province, a combined patrol found and destroyed about 880 pounds of hashish.

In Jan. 31 operations:

-- An Afghan-led and coalition-supported force detained two suspects and seized and destroyed two anti-tank mines, heavy machine gun ammunition and bomb components in the Bati Kot district of Nangarhar province.

In Jan. 29 operations:

-- In the Zharay district of Kandahar province, Afghan soldiers and police turned in three weapons caches to coalition troops. The first included a used artillery shell containing about 10 pounds of homemade explosive, some pressure-plates, two jugs of explosives, four rocket-propelled grenades, three 82 mm recoilless rifle rounds, two Chinese 60 mm mortar rounds, and other weapon components. The second consisted of 12 82 mm rockets and a tripod. The third cache contained two jugs of explosives, two pressure plates and two rocket-propelled-grenade warheads.